Starbucks' menu is constantly changing. There are the stalwarts that you can always rely
on to get your caffeine fix, but then there are the more unusual, fleeting options that
don't last forever. Here are the ones we desperately wish would make a return.
We might as well make it clear right away that few, if any, of the drinks on this list
can be considered health food. Frappuccinos, for instance, are basically giant sugar bombs
with a bit of flavor and whipped cream. But having one every once in a while is fine for
most people. Even if you make it a rare treat, you may still want to mix it up as much as
you can. Standby flavors like chocolate and caramel are only going to take you so far
once you've established a real Starbucks habit.
That's why the Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino is sorely missed. Sure, it was sweet and aggressively
pink. But it was also a nice bridge between summer and fall, introduced as it was by Starbucks
in late August 2015. You could sip on the semi-frozen mixture of fresh strawberry juice,
hazelnut syrup, and vanilla bean and believe that summer could maybe last for just another
week or two. Starbucks would be wise to bring this icy drink back, even if only for a few
weeks.
It's only been a few years since the Unicorn Frappuccino made waves among Starbucks fans,
but this luridly-colored drink remains divisive. Some can't stand the thought of taking a sip
from its intensely sweet, neon-hued depths. Others at least have the honesty to admit
that there's something about this drink that makes them wish it would come back, even if
only for a short time. Maybe it's the magic of unicorns, after all.
The Unicorn Frappuccino actually was briefly re-released in 2017, although just for a scant
five days. It included pink powder, the Frappuccino base with a mango syrup, and an intensely
blue sour syrup drizzle. The toothache-inducing affair was topped off with vanilla whipped
cream and more pink and blue powder. It ended up as a purple drink that with a few stirs
would turn pink. almost as if by magic. Critics have contended that the Unicorn Frappuccino
is just a cheap gimmick, but don't we deserve a little silly joy every once in a while?
Considering how popular it was during its time in the spotlight, there's surely a chance
we just might see it again sometime.
"Tastes like I French kissed Tinkerbell."
Marketed by Starbucks as a way to take a quick, quiet break during a busy workday, Tazo Tea
Infusions were first released in late 2008. Essentially, the barista would steam up some
black chai tea with fruit juice, creating a caffeinated, dairy-free beverage. There
were two varieties available: a Berry Chai Infusion with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves,
and an Apple Chai Infusion with sweet spices.
The Tazo Tea Infusions have since faded away, perhaps because people confused them with
the milky tea lattes that debuted at the same time. Some of those offerings, like the London
Fog Tea Latte, which is made with lavender and vanilla, are still available today. But
why haven't the tea infusions stuck around? They sound perfectly nice, especially if you're
hoping for a break from the more intensely sweet or dairy-heavy drinks on the menu. Maybe
that was the issue itself, as plenty of Starbucks patrons are more than happy to down sugary
stuff like Frappuccinos and lattes.
When the Zombie Frappuccino debuted in 2017, it was actually the latest in a line of spooky
Halloween-themed sugar drinks to come out of Starbucks. The Zombie was preceded by the
Franken Frappuccino in 2014, which was followed by the Frappula Frappuccino for the next two
years. After the Zombie had its day, Starbucks released a Witch's Brew Frappuccino made with
an orange crème base.
The Zombie Frappuccino had a green tart apple body, topped with pink whipped cream "brains"
and covered in a red mocha drizzle. It was clearly a gimmick, as were all its Halloween
predecessors, but it was nevertheless still fun. One of the reasons it's sorely missed
is because, like all the spooky season drinks, it was available for only a few days. Surely
next time, Starbucks can offer the entire ghoulish Frappuccino lineup for at least a
couple of weeks.
"Brains!"
Back in 2016, Starbucks promised its customers the opportunity to truly mix up their fall
drink experience with the Chile Mocha. Too bad it was going up against the ultimate heavyweight
of caffeinated fall drinks: the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Nothing that faces off with the PSL
is going to come out on top, no matter how good it is. There will always be a ravenous
horde of coffee drinkers clamoring for their gently spiced drinks that recall pumpkin pies
and pair well with aesthetic Instagram shots of plaid shirts and big scarves.
That's too bad, because they're missing out. The Chile Mocha boasted a solid chocolate
flavor, but what really made it stand out was its spicy topping, which included a dusting
of cinnamon, ancho chili, paprika, cayenne, sea salt, and sugar. We really wish that the
Chile Mocha would return, if only so that we could boast about being ever-so-slightly
more daring than the Pumpkin Spice Latte crowd.
At first blush, the idea of combining fruit and coffee seems pretty sensible. After all,
coffee beans themselves are part of a fruit called a "cherry," and different varieties
of coffee beans have fruity finishes. So it would seemingly make sense to pair up actual
fruit flavors like cherry with coffee classics like Starbucks' mocha.
Alas, customers apparently didn't agree back in 2013 when the Cherries Jubilee latte and
mocha popped up in a few test cities. This drink was essentially a mocha blended with
cherry syrup and topped with a bit of cocoa powder and a cherry drizzle. So what was the
problem? Perhaps it was that the cherry syrup required a delicate touch. A heavy-handed
barista could very well have easily made the whole thing taste like cough syrup. Still,
that flavor combination of chocolate, coffee, and cherry sounds intriguing enough for at
least one more try.
The United States of America had a chance to enjoy the Maple Macchiato back in 2012.
But like so many delectable drinks that have come and gone through Starbucks' doors, this
one is no longer with us, at least if you're south of a particular border. If you're up
in Canada, however, you can drink the Maple Macchiato pretty much whenever you want, as
it's now a permanent menu item in that country's locations. It makes sense, considering the
fact that Canada is all about maple flavoring, to the extent that a maple leaf is even featured
prominently on its national flag.
But shouldn't Canada's neighbor to the south get another chance to enjoy the Maple Macchiato
as well? It's topped with Quebec maple syrup drizzle, and it sure would be nice to try
something with that sort of complexity and sweetness instead of yet another cookie-cutter
hazelnut offering. Hopefully, Starbucks will rethink this decision and thereby save some
of us from a long, border-crossing road trip in search of a new macchiato.
"Oh! Canada!"
Perhaps one of the most controversial decisions in Starbucks history was the widely decried
cancellation of the Valencia Orange Refresher. You might be tempted to shrug your shoulders
and tell the bereaved caffeine-hungry masses to go drink a glass of orange juice instead,
but don't underestimate their love for this discontinued drink. The dissolution of the
Valencia Orange Refresher in 2015 reportedly left fans devastated. If you never got a chance
to try this dearly departed drink, a description of its contents might help you understand
what the fuss is all about. It was an iced drink with a gently caffeinated base, flavored
with orange peel, cardamom, jasmine, and apricot, all served with an orange slice.
Even casual fans were confused by Starbucks' decision to drop the Valencia Orange Refresher.
Surely, it must've been popular enough to keep around. Considering the aggrieved reaction
on social media, there might just be a real chance that this light and juicy summer drink
will return one day, as it very well should.
In the never-ending quest for novelty and new lattes, Starbucks is bound to make some
mistakes. While out-there offerings like the Dark Barrel Latte were definitely judged a
misstep by many customers, the concept is engaging enough that others may want to get
another crack at this particular discontinued offering. Like many of the chain's newest
flavors, the Dark Barrel Latte was tested in just a few locations in 2014. It quickly
proved controversial, with one particular Twitter user even calling it "horrid." That's
because it incorporated the flavor of Guinness, a dark stout beer. While it didn't contain
any alcohol, it's easy to understand why many customers weren't lining up for this new drink
on the block. Beer often presents a pretty distinct flavor profile with a bitter edge,
especially when it's a dark stout like Guinness. That can quickly clear a divide between drinkers
who like the bitterness and those who might prefer another ultra-sweet Frappuccino with
extra caramel sauce.
But it's not unheard of to pair coffee and beer flavors. Both bitter brews have their
own dedicated fan base, while stout also pairs well with chocolate flavors that can pop up
in certain coffee roasts. Devotees of both might enjoy the Dark Barrel Latte in a chocolatey
mocha form, which can better balance out the Guinness flavors in the blend.
There seems to be a certain mode of thinking that sweeps Starbucks drinks into one of two
very broad categories: warm and comforting, or cool and refreshing. Do you want a hot
latte with a creamy texture and a sweet, maybe savory syrup? Or would you prefer an iced
beverage, perhaps with a tart edge that pairs well with the hot, sunny days of summer? For
customers who tend towards the latter, there was the Starbucks Granitas in the summer of
2016. It was based on a classic Italian dessert made from often-coarsely ground ice and flavoring.
These drinks had an icy, fluffy texture not unlike the beloved Frappuccino, but without
the rather heavy cream base. Instead, the granitas were considerably lighter, with flavors
like Teavana Youthberry White Tea and Strawberry Lemon Limeade. Customers who couldn't quite
let go of the extra sweet side of things could also order a Caramel Espresso Granita.
The granitas were available after 3:00 p.m. on the "Sunset Menu," but alas they weren't
long for this world. Just a few weeks into the summer, they were removed from the menu,
with Starbucks tweeting,
"It was discontinued [because] it was no longer as popular with customers."
But maybe this decision was a little too hasty. Sure, it sounds like the Granitas were basically
dressed-up slushies, but isn't that part of the appeal? It could still be a really nice
summer evening treat if only Starbucks would bring it back, perhaps even with some updated
flavors.
There are plenty of ways to get your apple-infused fix at Starbucks. Currently, most U.S. locations
offer some steamed apple juice or a hot caramel apple spice, the latter presumably for those
of us still making our way through elementary school. For a brief period in 2011 through
2012, there was also another way. And like so many things that were here for just a short,
underappreciated moment in time, we'd really like to have it back.
We're of course referring to the Apple Crumble Frappuccino, which was briefly tested in North
Carolina and Japan in 2011, along with the similar Apple Crumble Latte. A year later,
the very same Frappuccino was spotted in Europe: Warsaw, Poland specifically. But then it quietly
faded from the world stage soon thereafter, never to be seen or tasted again in the years
since. That's too bad, because this is yet another discontinued Starbucks drink that
we'd absolutely love to try again.
"How do you like them apples?!"
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